The 6 Worst Things You’re Doing to Your Skin

People always want to know the best things they can do for their skin. There are so many answers to that question, depending on your current skin condition, lifestyle, and skin goals. All most people focus is on treatment, quick-fixes and instant results.

But prevention is arguably an even more effective way to cure skin issues. Whether your concern is acne scarring or ageing or skin cancer, what not so many people know about are things that cause damage to their skin every day and create these issues. Let’s learn about them so you can improve your habits!

We are lucky to live in an age where there is a plethora of sun protection options, from the beauty conscious to the eco friendly. You should be wearing sunscreenon exposed skin every day you go outside or will be sitting near a window.

Smoking

Smoking reduces oxygen levels in your skin which impedes hydration and slows cell regeneration and wound healing. Ever hear the term ‘antioxidant’? These combat cell damage by preventing oxidants from attacking and destroying cells. But smoking delivers a huge hit of oxidants to your system. Smoking’s direct effect on your skin and also your overall health will leave you dull, dry, and more prone to infection.

Consider quitting smoking as soon as possible – your whole body will thank you for it.

Picking

I struggle with a disorder called CSP or compulsive skin picking. This means I regularly and involuntarily pick, scratch, squeeze or dig at my skin. It can be using my nails, tweezers, nail clippers or even scissors (see more photos of this in my skin care journey post). While not everybody suffers from a condition this severe, skin picking (especially picking at acne) is a widespread bad habit that manifests itself in blotchy, swollen, irritated skin. Our skin is very intelligent and wonderful at keeping itself healthy and clean, and you should keep your hands off!

For those who have issues with skin picking compulsions, try visiting r/CalmHands or r/CompulsiveSkinPicking for a supportive group environment. Otherwise, I strongly suggest you ask your GP to point you in the right direction for professional help.

Irritation

Lots of people who follow bad skin habits like using baking soda scrubs claim that their skin seems fine so therefore no harm done. But consistent irritation of the skin can create undetectable inflammation. Inflammation promotes skin ageingand encourages skin barrier dysfunction. These effects only appear over time, so while your skin might seem fine now, irritating routines will have a real negative impact in the long run.

So drop the alkaline cleansers and rough granular scrubs and focus on hydration and healing. Addition of anti-inflammatory ingredients will also help fight irritation and the associated ageing and skin disorders.

Our society is a high-stress one, but there are things you can do to try to improve. Try to reduce workload or pressure on yourself when possible, take mental health days when you need to, visit a therapist to work through your problems, use skin care as a form of self care, and practice mindfulness, meditation or yoga to slow your heart rate and train of thought.

If you can change your lifestyle to improve upon one or all of these factors, you’ll be helping yourself in the long run. When you treat your skin preventatively, you’re not fighting an uphill battle in your daily routine. Don’t make things harder for yourself!

I hope you learnt something new today! Let us know in the comments below which habit you find the hardest to kick. Hope to see you again on the blog soon!